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Smith -
"This is a work-in-progress, not the final script, or even the final version of the scene. When all's said and done, there's a good chance this scene might not even make the final draft, left alone the first cut. Consider it more of a sketch than anything else: an impression of what I'm going for in HIT SOMEBODY. I left a blank space in one section of Blue Jay's dialogue to conceal a plot point.
This scene takes place about 60 pages into the current draft of HIT SOMEBODY. It's 1961 and our lead character, Buddy McCracken, is 11. Buddy's suffering from a personal loss when he's visited on his family's Saskatchewan farm by the man who'll be his first hockey coach, Blue Jay Jennings (written for John Goodman)."
Cool.
"This is a work-in-progress, not the final script, or even the final version of the scene. When all's said and done, there's a good chance this scene might not even make the final draft, left alone the first cut. Consider it more of a sketch than anything else: an impression of what I'm going for in HIT SOMEBODY. I left a blank space in one section of Blue Jay's dialogue to conceal a plot point.
This scene takes place about 60 pages into the current draft of HIT SOMEBODY. It's 1961 and our lead character, Buddy McCracken, is 11. Buddy's suffering from a personal loss when he's visited on his family's Saskatchewan farm by the man who'll be his first hockey coach, Blue Jay Jennings (written for John Goodman)."
Code:
EXT. MCCRAKEN BACKYARD - DUSK
Blue Jay Jennings climbs out of his truck, carrying a bag.
Close on the side of the barn, as a puck rockets through it.
Then another. There are LOTS of holes, dents, or embedded
pucks in the side of the barn today. BLAM! Another puck just
misses Blue Jay as he steps near the barn, arms raised.
BLUE JAY
Don't shoot.
Buddy mean mugs Jay as he studies the barn damage.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
Well... we know you can hit the broad
side of a barn.
BUDDY
I was aiming at your car.
Jay looks to where his car is - far, far from the barn. Can
the master spin this one?
BLUE JAY
Y'know, it's pretty windy out
today...
BUDDY
What do you want?
BLUE JAY
A less lippy tone'd be nice, for
starters. I never met a hockey
player who wasn't polite and
respectful out of a sweater.
Speaking of which...
Jay pulls a hockey sweater from the bag he's carrying,
holding it up for Buddy to see. The BUCKOS is the team name.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
This is yours.
Buddy eyes the jersey, now sullied. He heads over to the barn
and pulls a few pucks out of the wall, ignoring Jay. Jay
sighs, reaching into his coat. He cracks open a beer.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
I'll tell you one thing: you can't
be a hockey player with a temper
like that.
Every hockey player I know that
didn't die in a car wreck lived to
be eighty years and died peacefully
in their sleep. That might mean
nothing to a kid like you, but the
older you get, the more a peaceful
death starts sounding pretty sweet.
Suddenly: a small hint of interest from Buddy. Fisherman Blue
Jay feels a tug at his line.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
You know what a heart attack is?
Buddy shrugs "kinda".
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
When you're an adult, life's not
very fun anymore, kid. They expect
productivity. And the pressure that
comes with expectation
of any kind - the stress and the
anger and the jealousy...
Over a lifetime?
(mimes a heart attack; then)
But that doesn't happen to hockey
players. Know why?
Buddy shakes his head. Blue Jay points to the barn.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
They take out their troubles on the
ice. They take it out on the
puck, or some sumbitch ain't got
his head up. For two minutes,
all that stuff us mere mortals
gotta deal with as thinking
organisms on a cold rock in space
that doesn't care whether we
hang on or spin off into the Milky
Way? The stuff most people call
"real life"? For two minutes , a
hockey player gets to skate
it all away. You can't drop gloves
on life, kid - but in The Game?
They'll
cheer you if you do. Because they
all know what a struggle...
what a fight life can be. And when
they see you take a swing -
with your stick or a good right
hook - they feel like you're taking
a swing for
them.
And lots of people will tell you
that ain't right. But brother?
(whispers)
There ain't nothin' righter.
Blue Jay winks and smiles widely at Buddy. Buddy melts
further, smiling back. Blue Jay sees the opening.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
I'm not out here because of what
happened with _________ ,
and I'm not out here because I'm
short any players. I'm out here
because you're a pip of a fighter.
And everyone'll tell you fighting's
not part of The Game, but it is -
second only to scoring
goals. The team I'm putting
together's gonna need fighters, so
whadya say, sport?
Buddy won't answer. Blue Jay eyes the boy.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
My Dad died when I was nine.
Buddy looks to Blue Jay, sympathetic.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
Heart attack. While he was on our
roof.
EXT. ROOFTOP - DAY - FLASHBACK
Jay's Father suffers a heart attack while hanging a
BLACKHAWKS flag near the chimney. He grabs his chest, losing
his balance. But rather than fall forward off the roof, he's
caught on the flag pole. After a moment, he dies, sorta
standing, arm up.
BLUE JAY (O.C.)
Worst part was nobody knew it right
away. So my Dad hung up
on that roof 'til dark. The whole
neighborhood just waved at him.
People are passing by on the neighborhood street: Post Man,
Woman with Stroller, even the Milk Man. Each wave at Blue
Jay's dead father on the roof.
EXT. MCCRAKEN BACKYARD RINK - DUSK
Back to Jay and Buddy on the backyard rink.
BLUE JAY
(ruefully, sotto)
Goddamn the overly-polite Illinois
suburbs...
(shakes it off)
When he died, it left a hole in me
I wanted to climb inside and never
come out of. I'd cry myself to
sleep every night.
BUDDY
(cautiously engaged)
You'd cry?
BLUE JAY
Sure. He was my Dad.
(beat)
But then I remembered why my Dad
was on that roof: he loved his
Hawks. My ol' man never picked up a
stick in his life, but he loved
The Game. Drove us to see the
Junior B out in the Soo every
season.
One time, we even went to Maple
Leaf Gardens. Leafs and Hawks.
Not a great night for the Hawks,
lemme tell ya'. I'll betcha nobody
who
played in the Gardens that night
probably even remembers that game...
(wistfully)
But I know I'll never forget it.
Buddy smiles warmly. Jay's got him on the ropes.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
And I started thinking that, by
playing hockey, I'd have my Dad
back
in some little way. Not back,
y'know - just... around.
Kinda. So I threw myself into The
Game. And whenever I'd play, I'd
feel closer to my Dad. And even
better? The crying stopped. Know
why?
Buddy wants to know. Blue Jay closes.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
Once I got on that ice? I let it
all go. All that anger, all
that sadness? I skated it out. I
scrummed it away. I became a
scrapper!
Blue Jay puts the sweater in Buddy's hands.
BLUE JAY (CONT'D)
I'd like to give you the chance to
do the same. On my team.
- Copyright Kevin Smith
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